Damn it, I'm going to MagiCon
by Avaloner
Summary: Arthur has reincarnated in the modern world where Merlin is an actor...playing 'Merlin' on a TV show. One day Arthur recognises Merlin's face from an ad for an upcoming comic con. On the day of the convention, there are more surprises as someone else waiting in the autograph lines for 'Merlin' recognises Arthur.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note: I don't know if a real convention called MagiCon exist. If so, this is a fictionalised version, of course. Some tongue-in-cheek references to the Merlin fandom and to the convention scene to follow... Enjoy!**

* * *

-1-

Arthur took out his earphones. He stared at the ad plastered along the side of the bus.

It was an ad for an upcoming comic convention, MagiCon, with pictures of the key guests this year, as well as a background photo of people in costumes and an overlay of a sweeping dragon at the top.

It wasn't the colourful, fantasy-inspired spectacle that caught Arthur's eyes though. It was a picture of a young man -one of the guests attending the convention- that made him halt.

He _recognised_ him: pitch black hair, bright blue eyes, angular, handsome features that made him look otherworldly.

Arthur furrowed his brows.

 _'Excuse me,'_ a passer-by brushed past him.

He realised he had stopped in the middle of the footpath. Stepping aside, he also realised he must have been looking rather stupid, staring after a bus that had already left.

But why was that guy so familiar to him?

He was sure he didn't see the dark-haired man on TV or anything. Otherwise he would have remembered. Because just taking one look at him was bringing back 'memories'.

Arthur snapped out of his thoughts and shoved the earphones back into his ears and resumed walking. _We already went over this; they were not memories._

The stream of thoughts and images of certain people that sometimes entered his mind were not memories from an old life. That would be delusional.

* * *

Later that night, Arthur found himself Googling MagiCon, entering the website set up for the event. Then he came across the young man's photo and his fingers insisted on clicking on his name: Mervin Emerson.

Apparently, Mervin was the up-and-coming actor of the current hit series called _The Camelot Chronicles._ The page had the same picture of the young man that had stopped Arthur in his tracks. There was also a picture of him in his TV character as the wizard Merlin.

Arthur leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, adopting an almost sulky expression as he examined 'Merlin'.

The character was in a rich blue cloak, one that would be considered expensive in a real historical context. Underneath that he wore upper-class court attire. The serious-looking Mervin held a long staff that had atop it an intriguing stone, bound to the staff with luxurious metalwork.

That's not how Arthur remembered it. His mind instantly filled with visions of 'Mervin' in more commoner clothes: black trousers, functional boots, a blue tunic under a brown -rather worn- jacket. He also had on a much worn, but still rich in colour, red neckerchief. That was the _real_ Merlin.

Arthur blinked and swiftly shot a look at the ceiling. This was getting ridiculous. Every time he saw a lad with dark hair and pale skin, this guy with the neckerchief came into his mind.

Sometimes, when he was absentminded and he spotted a girl with black, wavy hair in his indirect view, he would see visions of this other girl with dark curls, lovely brown eyes and a caring smile.

Arthur abruptly pressed the 'close' button of the website. He tried to disengage himself from the thoughts about the young man and woman, who sometimes appeared in his dreams as well. Dreams in which he saw himself in chain mail, riding into forests with 'Merlin' by his side. Then he would enter a grand castle and the girl would greet him in a gentle but reassuring hug.

 _Nonsense!_ Arthur told himself. But as he flicked off the desk light and began going to bed, he thought to himself: _Damn it, I'm going to MagiCon._


	2. Chapter 2

-2-

Gwen was instantly drawn towards _The Camelot Chronicles_ since the first episode.

A year and the complete season later, she couldn't help but admit she was a regular viewer and waited patiently for the upcoming second season later this year.

But there was something not right about the TV show. Shouldn't Merlin be a servant boy who had to keep his magic a secret? Instead of being a sorcerer who was a member of the court, highly admired by female courtiers?

And Morgana should have been someone who meant well but lost their way... Instead of the beautiful redhead who was an eccentric druid woman, always plotting evil. Also, there was something pretentious about the pretty, blonde Guinevere, an utterly shy princess who enjoyed being courted by the prince of Camelot.

But the character she had the strongest reaction to was the Prince himself: Arthur. She wanted to punch him in the face quite a bit.

After all the objections she had about this show, why was she standing in a long line right now, waiting to get the autograph of 'Merlin'? Gwen seriously wondered, as she looked around at the crowds at MagiCon. Why was she spending her money on this, wasting a perfectly good Saturday afternoon?

She looked ahead at the winding line of fans that were in front of her, before it was her turn. A lot of them were young women around her age. Several groups were definitely teenage girls. There were also other women perhaps older...

Oh dear, thought Gwen, she could see a pattern here. From her occasional ventures into websites and videos dedicated to The Camelot Chronicles, she understood a large proportion of the fans of the series were female.

Though the series was classed as a family show and even as she spotted a pair of little boys in the line -one with a fake sword and another with a magic staff- she felt self-conscious about being seen here. Self-conscious of being seen as one of those people who would post over-fervent comments online about how hot 'Merlin' and 'Arthur' were.

 _That_ was not the reason why she was drawn to the show.

It was because of Merlin -or Mervin- she didn't know who anymore. He had seemed so familiar, like another Merlin who was a part of some other version of her life.

A life which she glimpsed in dreams sometimes. Or when she went into day-dream mode. That version of things had a slightly different Merlin. Well, he looked identical to Mervin, but he was so much more easy-going. And more powerful for never letting anyone see how powerful he could truly become.

His friend was a different Arthur.

Gwen understood why the fans liked the Prince Arthur character, with his deep blue eyes and curly, golden hair and heroic physique. But that guy was so...so perfect, she thought in annoyance. Even when he made mistakes and learnt from them, it was all wrong.

Not like the Arthur _she_ knew. He was a little blunt sometimes, definitely started off inconsiderate, but then he...changed. Not changed-for-a-fair-maiden. But more like she had discovered the good inside him and he became confident enough to let it shine through.

And frankly speaking -even though Gwen had seen this other Arthur in vague detail- she thought he was more handsome than the one on TV.

He had blue eyes just as brilliant -but they were also more meaningful- with straight, dark blond hair, dishevelled in the breeze, unlike the immaculate Prince Charming onscreen. Her Arthur was more human.

'Excuse me,' said a voice behind her emphatically, trying to get her attention, she assumed.

She quickly chastised herself for thinking about this alternate life, almost rolling her eyes at herself, before turning around to see what the guy wanted.

A jolt of shock went through her when her eyes met the young man who had spoken.

'Yes?' she put on a friendly smile, desperately hoping he hadn't noticed her momentary astonishment.

He didn't speak. His eyes started narrowing, as if he too _recognised_ something, felt a fearful thrill that she had just felt.

Then he asked her something. It went to the back of Gwen's mind for a second. Instead, she was wondering how the 'Arthur' from her dreams could be standing right here in front of her.


	3. Chapter 3

-3-

 _This was the girl!_ A high pitched version of his voice went off in Arthur's head, _the girl that appeared in your dreams sometimes._ He ignored it masterfully, not letting any of the excitement of finding her in real life show on his face.

'I was wondering, how long are you supposed to have with this guy?' he took his eyes off the young woman and tilted his head towards the front of the line, towards Mervin.

She seemed to be speechless for a moment then answered without hesitating, 'Um, not too sure! I suppose you could have a small chat with him,' she smiled, 'you know, for as long as it takes him to sign his photo and stuff.'

That wasn't enough, thought Arthur. That was nowhere near enough for him to confront this guy about how he knew him, about the other version of his life he remembered so well.

He looked around the convention. There was a scowl on his face as he thought out loud, 'And people actually go out of their way to have, what, this _two-second_ conversation with these celebrities?'

That seemed to erase the smile off the woman's face. 'Well, it means something to a lot of fans. And...' she furrowed her brows, scrutinising him, 'I don't understand, why would you be here if you're not a fan of the show?'

Arthur's lips were parted but the words wouldn't come out. He couldn't tell her the truth. Even if _she_ was a part of why he needed to see Mervin. 'There are times when...' he looked away from her, his tone gentler now, a touch scared, 'when I see certain people, who I don't know, and feel they're familiar somehow.' He looked into her eyes, hoping he didn't have to say more. 'As if I've known them from another life.'

She didn't say anything. She now had that almost-frightened look that was in his eyes. She _did_ understand.

'This Mervin guy,' Arthur gestured, 'seems to be one of these people.'

'I see.'

'Despite having all these...' he didn't want to say crazy-fans as he looked around, 'zealous people here, I bet that's the craziest story you've heard today.' He gave her a self-deprecating smile.

'No,' the woman said seriously. 'Because I feel the same way about Mervin Emerson.' She couldn't hold the eye-contact for a moment. Then she looked him in the eyes again, 'And you, it seems.'

* * *

'Right, see you!' said Mervin, an uninhibited smile on his face reaching his eyes. The girl took the photo he had signed and waved goodbye, ushering the next person in line to walk up to him.

'Hi,' said Gwen.

Mervin's expression shifted. He still had a smile on his face but his eyes held a mix of astonishment and apprehension. And hope. 'Hi, how are you?' his voice almost wavered.

'Good thanks! Hope you're going well,' Gwen placed the high-res photo forward on the table. The handsome sorcerer Merlin stared grimly from the photo as Mervin turned it toward himself to sign. 'Who should I write it to?'

'Gwen, er, I'm Gwen.'

Mervin swallowed, for a moment he looked up at her with a sliver of sadness in his eyes. Then, 'Gwen?' a smile broke out on his lips. 'Like Princess Guinevere?'

Gwen smiled. 'Yeah, I guess.'

Mervin's pen moved swiftly in diagonal lines on the bottom-right corner of the photo. He slid it towards Gwen when he was done. As he caught her eyes, there was a look of regret on his face, as if there was more he wanted to say but couldn't. 'Enjoy the rest of the convention.'

'Thanks, I will.'

Mervin looked down and glided the lid of the marker pen back on, feeling an onslaught of gloomy emptiness hit him in the stomach.

For hundreds of years, this was what he was looking for, a sign. And here it was, _Gwen,_ and he didn't know what to do...

The next person who came up did not look happy. He slapped the same promotional photo of 'Merlin' down on the table.

The young man bent down slightly and spoke in a low voice, 'You're Merlin,' he accused, a shadow of disapproval and hurt in his eyes.

Mervin felt coldness wash over him and it wasn't because of the pale blue T-shirt he was wearing; the crowded hall was heated enough. His features stilled, he knew his expression was cold too.

He took in the man in front of him. All of his features were exactly as Mervin remembered them. Out of sight was not out of mind, he found out rather painfully, over the years.

But somehow he found himself reflecting back the frost in the man's tone, 'Well, the character, yes. But I'm Mervin Emerson in real life,' he picked up his place card on the table and brought it forward purposefully, not taking his eyes off the man, 'as you can read here.'

The man locked him with a stare, one that spoke of disappointment and frustration without using any words. He tensed, his chest rising and falling evidently, as if he was restraining himself. Then he spoke, 'Of course, _Mervin_. My bad,' he said in a sarcasm-laden tone.

Mervin looked at him a second longer then attacked the corner of the photo with his marker. 'What was your name? So that I could write it to you-'

'Arthur,' was the cutting reply.

He looked up at the man then bent his head down and scribbled furiously for a moment. 'Have a nice day,' said Mervin, his voice caught on the next word, 'Arthur.'

Arthur gave something of a nod and walked away.

He walked over to where Gwen was waiting for him. Only then he read what Mervin had written on the signed photo:

 _'We need to talk,'_ followed by a mobile phone number.


	4. Chapter 4

-4-

Merlin folded his arms behind his head, staring into the ceiling of his hotel room. This was what he had been waiting for, for over seven hundred years now. The return of Arthur, as the Great Dragon had foretold.

The first three years were the hardest. He had enshrouded himself with isolation, not saying goodbye to Gaius, to Gwen -the new queen.

The next ten, fifty, even a hundred years, were a blur now. But by then he left his seclusion, his little cave in the woods, now that _all_ his friends no longer walked the earth.

He went back into society and the world changed. He changed. He cared about little, kept to himself a lot. That was also when the restlessness took hold of him.

Every decade or so, he would change his occupation. What else could he do? He had been in his youth for hundreds of years now and it was likely to continue. He couldn't just settle down, do his job, get old and leave his progeny behind.

For many years, he worked as a physician. That was the job he returned to most often. Even fifteen years ago, he had been a doctor. But he had also tried being other things: Musician, librarian, research scientist, confectionery factory worker, glass maker... Four years ago the boredom bug bit him again and he decided to get into a drama school.

After he had graduated and was doing plays and auditioning, The Camelot Chronicles came along.

He smiled bitterly when he saw the script -yet another untrue retelling of the story of himself and his friends.

But he decided to audition for the role of Merlin, anyway, just for kicks. Obviously he couldn't turn up as 'Merlin Emrys'. So now he was Mervin Emerson instead.

It didn't matter that he was called something else. He was no longer his real self, anyway. The disappointment sedimented in him over the years until his heart turned to stone. Sure, he was a nice, friendly guy but at the end of the day this is what he was: a shell with a stone heart.

Then, this morning happened. He replayed it in his mind all day -his Once and Future King and Queen.

A thoughtful, almost sad, guitar tune interrupted his thoughts. Merlin shot his hand out to grab the ringing phone from the bedside table. He eyed the screen. _Unknown Number._

Hope and anticipation beat with his rapid heart. He pressed the green button and spoke, 'Hey, who's this?'

'It's Arthur.'


	5. Chapter 5

-5-

 _I don't trust him..._ Arthur told himself after he parked the car close to the lake and started walking to the meeting place. But as he neared the tranquil lake, he knew that in his heart he didn't believe it. Despite their cold first meeting, he knew he trusted Mervin when the latter had told him to meet near this lake today.

The place around the lake was peaceful, as if its stretch of green hills was undiscovered to the world.

Arthur found this place familiar too. He ignored the eerie yet reassuring feeling the place brought him and kept walking, towards the lone, large tree where he and Gwen were to meet Mervin.

To his surprise, the pair were already there, standing at the tree's extensive roots next to the lake.

Gwen smiled at him when her eyes met his.

He returned the smile, saying 'Hi.' Mervin, on the other hand, only received a brusque nod from him.

Mervin -or rather 'Merlin' as he explained- told Arthur and Gwen to place their left palms on the tree trunk. 'The Great Dragon had told me of this day,' Merlin's tone held a sense of gravity. 'He passed a spell to me that will unlock your memories of our life at Camelot.' He grinned for a moment, 'the real Camelot.'

Arthur gave a light cough. 'A _dragon_ told you this?' he raised his eyebrows.

The smile vanished from Merlin's face. 'If you're not interested in finding answers anymore, feel free to leave.' He looked Arthur in the eye. Funny how the words he recalled murmuring to Arthur, the last time they were here, were quite different. _Please don't leave me, please don't..._

'Come on, Arthur,' Gwen broke the stare-down, 'let's give this a try.'

Arthur took his eyes off Merlin, this time almost remorseful, and placed his hand on the tree. Gwen joined in next to him and both turned to Merlin standing on Gwen's other side.

Merlin spoke a series of words. Arthur didn't have a clue what they meant but could gauge their power. With careful intonations and a steady voice, Merlin himself sounded powerful, in control.

Then Arthur's eyes widened; Merlin's irises turned golden. After this he couldn't feel or remember anything. He and Gwen were tugged sharply backward, flying a short distance before landing on the grass, unconscious.

The stern look disappeared from Merlin's face, replaced with concern as he started walking towards his fallen friends.

Arthur was the first to get up. He walked up to Merlin, his expression hard to read. Then there was a hint of mischief in his eyes. 'Merlin,' he said, putting an arm around the sorcerer, 'why do I conveniently lose consciousness every time you use your magic?'

For a moment Merlin was stumped. Then he gave a laugh.

Arthur put his arm down and smiled, his eyes showing he remembered the real Merlin.

'Merlin!' It was Gwen. When Merlin walked down to her she threw her arms around him. She too remembered.

When they broke away Gwen's eyes fell on Arthur standing behind.

'Guinevere,' he breathed.

Gwen smiled but her eyes held a tender sadness, like she was trying not to cry. She walked up to Arthur and when they met he took her face in his hands and kissed her.

'Right,' Merlin grinned, 'I'll just leave you two alone then.'

The pair parted and walked over to him.

'Oh not just yet...' Arthur hooked his elbow around Merlin's neck and shoved him forward slightly.

Merlin complained, 'Argh!' But he also laughed, as if freed from an imprisonment.

From the other side of the lake, someone watched the three cheerful figures. Her face was concealed by the hood of her dark, stylish jacket. The limbs of the large tree she stood behind concealed her figure. There was emptiness in her eyes, as she watched the friends' reunion, then envy.

She stepped out from behind the branches. It was Morgana.


End file.
